The pounding wasn't going away.
Dereck groaned, snuggling into the warmth of his bed, his arm wrapped around his pillow...
His eyes popped open. That wasn't a pillow pressed back against his rock-hard erection. It was a smooth feminine ass. He saw the top of a dark hair head, noted the shock of magenta peeking through the strands. Beyond her, he stared at the wall of the spare bedroom in his uncle's house, where a mountain landscape hung. By the yellow light shining on the canvas, he figured he'd forgotten to close the curtains on the window at his back.
The night before came rushing back to him and he realized his arm was draped across Jill's very naked waist.
And someone was knocking furiously on the door downstairs.
Trying not to disturb her, Dereck eased out of the bed and put his feet on the carpeted floor. His clothes were nowhere to be seen, so he pulled another pair of boxer briefs from the top drawer of the chestnut dresser along the wall.
What in the hell had he done? Had the best sex of his life? Absolutely, but this wasn't what he wanted. He'd told himself in the moment not to worry about the future, but that had been idiotic. Sleeping with Jill had implications.
Fuck, if my mother finds out, I’ll be doomed.
Once his junk was officially covered, he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Dereck had time to worry about Jill later. First, he had to get rid of whoever was at the door.
He crept down the stairs and swore if the dumbass didn't stop banging, Dereck would open the door and clock him.
He grabbed his jeans from the living room floor and hopped into first one leg and then the other. He'd barely gotten them buttoned when he unlocked the front door and swung it open. Xander stood on his stoop, which was covered in fresh snow. He looked like hell. Dark circles around his blue eyes were telltale signs of a lack of sleep and his blond hair stood on end as though he'd been electrocuted.
"Is there a reason you're breaking my door down first thing in the morning?"
"Yeah, I need to talk."
Dereck leaned against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest. "You know, there's this amazing invention called the cell phone. You use it to call before dropping by someone's home unannounced."
Xander glared at him. "I forgot it when I left the house. Figured since we're practically family and this was technically my place of residence, you wouldn't mind."
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't, but Dereck wasn't up for explanations if Jill came downstairs in one of his shirts.
"Why is Jill's car here?"
Shit, he'd forgotten about the car.
Dereck thought of Xander as another brother. A year younger than Dereck, the last five years they had grown close.
Still, he wasn't sure how Xander would react if he admitted to fucking Jill on the floor of the living room.
"She drank a little too much so I let her crash in the guest room."
Xander frowned. "If that's all, then why do you smell like her...and sex?"
Well, that settled it. There was no use trying to lie to shifters.
"You're right, man. I'm sorry it just...it happened."
"You don't need to apologize to me. I saw this coming the night you two met. Although, I thought you weren't going there because she wasn't your type?"
"She got under my skin and I couldn't help myself."
"Yeah, I know how that works. If you hurt her, Greer will have your balls. You know that, right?"
Dereck winced at the imagery. "I'm aware. Now, are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"
"Can I come in first, or are you going to keep me out here so we don't wake Jill?"
Dereck stepped back and let Xander by, feeling like a dick for keeping him on the porch. Once he shut the door, he headed into the kitchen to put the coffee on.
"Alright, you talk while I create," Dereck said.
Xander took one of the stools at the kitchen counter and sat down, flattening his hands against the top. "Greer lied to me."
"About what?"
"Pax admitted to her before he died that he'd been hired to kill my family."
Dereck's blood ran cold. No wonder Xander had dropped by unannounced. After everything Xander had gone through to avenge his family, thinking it was over...only to find out there another player still existed?
Talk about a shit storm.
"Fuck, man, by who?"
Xander sighed. "He didn't tell her. All she knew was when they found out I was still alive, they didn't bother finishing the job because they didn't think of me as a threat."
"Their mistake," Dereck said.
"Yeah. And Greer didn't bother to tell me."
"Why'd she keep it from you? Greer wouldn't withhold vital information for the hell of it."
"She thought I'd run off on another quest for revenge."
Dereck turned his back on the coffee pot to face Xander, listening to the steady drip behind him. "And is she right?"
Xander hesitated, obviously considering his answer, but Dereck had a feeling Greer had been right to worry. For five years, Xander had been a shadow of a man, walking and talking, but consumed with hate and anger. Dereck had seen how love could melt even Xander's vengeful heart, but he didn't blame Greer for being worried that this new information would destroy their happiness.
"I don't know," Xander admitted. "I thought this was done. I thought everyone responsible was dead and gone and I could move on at last."
"But now that you know, things have changed?"
Xander's face was a mask of fury. Blue eyes blazing. His mouth twisted into a feral snarl. "If someone had hired a group of mercenaries to violate your mother and butcher your father and brothers, would you be able to move on knowing they still breathed?"
Dereck considered the scenario, putting himself in Xander's shoes and knew there was no way he'd be able to let the bastard walk.
But if he had a mate whom he loved? Someone else to think about? He didn't know if he'd be eager to go vigilante either.
The fact that Xander wasn't gone already said something about the change in his state of mind.
"There's a guy from Blue Creek who's a shifter PI," Dereck said, pouring Xander a cup of black coffee. "Ace Hannigan. I met him years ago when I went down to visit friends with my dad. I’ll give him a call and see what he can dig up."
Xander accepted the mug from him. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it." He took a drink and coughed, "Jesus, that's like sludge."
"Pussy." Dereck took a long drink of his own bitter brew. "You planning on staying mad at Greer?"
"I don't know."
"At least she told you."
"Yeah, six weeks after the fact."
Dereck still didn't think it was a deal breaker. "Come on, cut her some slack. The two of you went through a hell of a trauma. I can see why she would hesitate to tell you, but she came clean. She put your needs before her own. That's got to count for something."
Xander nodded slowly. "It does."
"I think you should go home, and tell her you forgive her. That you're not going to run off with guns blazing."
"I will." Xander pushed his cup away. "I appreciate your advice, bro, but you make a shit cup of coffee. "
Dereck laughed. "It's fantastic. Puts hair on your chest. Go home and I'll call Ace. Invite him up for a spell."
"Thanks, again." Xander glanced at the stairs that led to the second story. "What is your plan with Jill?"
Dereck shrugged, unwilling to talk about Jill with anyone. He wasn't sure what to say anyway. He liked Jill. He wanted her desperately. Beyond that, he needed to think.
But he wasn't going to say anything out loud, especially if she was eavesdropping and misconstrued something he said.
"Be careful with her, brother. She comes across as tough, but she's got a thin skin and an open heart." Xander stood, and stretched. "I suppose I should go pick up breakfast and some drinkable coffee for Greer. Then, I'm going back to bed. I didn't sleep well on the couch."
"Yeah, I was going to tell you that you looked like shit but didn't cause I'm a nice guy. Not so much now that you've insulted my coffee twice."
"Speaking the truth. Thanks for listening."
"Call next time."
Xander flipped him the bird before heading out the door. Dereck carried his coffee up the stairs. He went to the bathroom first, leaving his clothes on the floor. When he finished, he snuck back into the bedroom. He set his coffee down on the nightstand and crawled back under the covers next to Jill. His hand slid over her hip and curled up her abdomen to just below her breasts. He nuzzled against her hair, the light vanilla scent of her racing up his nostrils deliciously. Her ass cradled in his crotch and his dick stirred instantly at the contact.
"Is Xander okay?" she murmured.
He used his other hand to move her hair away from her neck, trailing kisses along the slope. "Yeah, he just needed to talk."
She arched against him. "Greer told him about the other killer?"
Dereck stopped kissing her. "Were you eavesdropping?"
Jill rolled onto her back, looking up at him with sleepy blue eyes. "No. Greer told me at the bar. I knew Greer was going to come clean to him last night and when I heard his voice, I figured he was pretty upset."
He relaxed, grateful she hadn't been listening in on their conversation. He stroked his hand over her stomach. He loved the silky smoothness of her skin. "He was, but I talked him down. Told him Greer was a good woman who had put his wants and needs before her own."
"So he isn't going to leave her?"
Dereck kissed her, running his tongue across her bottom lip. "No, he's gone off to pick up breakfast for her as we speak."
"Thank God."
Dereck chuckled as he climbed over her, holding himself up on his palms. "You seem awfully invested in their relationship.
Jill's hands drifted along his chest and over his shoulders to wrap around his neck. "Greer loves him. If he leaves her or gets himself killed, I'm afraid she won't come back from it."
His cock nestled against her, and he rocked, watching her eyes darken and the lids lower. "I think Xander's going to hire someone to find the man who contracted to have his family killed, so he won't be in direct danger."
"I hope he does find him," she said as her fingers tickled the skin of his back. "It's terrifying that someone could commit such a heinous act on innocent people without any remorse."
"I know. I'm glad he met someone like Greer. She's good for him and gives him something to live for. A man needs that."
"What? Love?"
"Not necessarily. Just a woman who gives him what he needs."
She stilled beneath him, one leg bent at his hips. "What about what she needs?"
The way she said it cooled his desire a tick. There was an edge to her tone that told him he'd said something wrong.
"If he's any kind of man, he'll give her what she needs."
"Are you talking about sex?" she asked.
"Not just sex. Support. Comfort."
"Sounds...boring." Jill kissed his cheek. "Let me up."
His jaw dropped. "What?"
Jill pushed at his chest and he sat back. She crawled off the bed without a backward glance.
"Where are you going?"
"I should get home and clean up."
She brushed her hair back over her shoulders as she faced him, her rose-tipped breasts thrust forward. Her waist curved into the flare of her hips, her legs braced apart and his gaze drifted down then back up.
"We could take a shower and get you really clean."
Jill shook her head, her face scrunched up. "No thanks. I think we both what we wanted from each other last night. No sense in dragging things out."
"Dragging what out?"
She scoffed. "Come on. This was about scratching an itch or satisfying your curiosity about me. Or maybe you thought this would make us even for me saving your life. Doesn't matter. I wanted to get laid, and you were available. Let's leave it at that."
Dereck sat there too stunned to move and could do nothing but watch her leave the room, her bare ass swaying as she disappeared around the corner. He hadn't been expecting such an extreme reaction from her this morning. He'd assumed they'd go another round, maybe talk some more and then she'd go home to grab a few things...come back again.
Or he'd follow her there and they could christen her place.
Instead, she'd been all casual, as if last night had been nothing but a way to get her rocks off and forget about it.
Isn't that exactly what I thought last night? No future, just living in the moment?
Only the moment wasn't over for him. Now that he'd had Jill in his arms, he wasn't ready to let her go. He wanted her.
The stark realization left him more than a little frustrated. He wasn't going to chase her down, and beg her to come back. But did she really mean it? She'd finally had him, and now she was over her initial fascination? She could have faked how good it was between them to spare his feelings; she was an actress after all.
Fuck, he couldn't leave things like this. He had to know.
He climbed out of bed and went downstairs to catch her, but she must have dressed in a hurry. There was no trace she had even been in the house.
I'll give her a few hours and call. This isn't over.